Return of the Mastermind
by PurimPopoie
Summary: When a foe from his past resurfaces in the Kalos Region, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and their friends will be in for their greatest battle yet! Some AmourShipping (AshxSerena, SatoSere) in this all-new six part adventure!
1. Meetings

**This is something I'm trying now. A multipart adventure story. Sorry if it's a little lacking in the romance, but I wanted something a little more... dramatic, I guess? Anyway, sorry if part one's a bit short. Let's start.**

* * *

><p>They watched James setting up the comlink. Jessie and Meowth watched him connect the pieces together. While Meowth was always the true mastermind of their schemes, James was the more practical one, often designing the more intricate parts of the mecha they used, while Meowth was more "big concepts" like weapons systems, and Jessie was in charge of the entire thing as the trio's internal leader. "Got it," he said as he snapped the last connection together. He tapped on the keyboard and it connected them to the network for their briefing from the Boss.<p>

While Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, liked to let his agents improvise in the field, when he needed them for a large scale operation, he expected them to be prompt. James and his friends had gotten the word yesterday that a new operation would be starting soon and that it would be especially for them.

The screen flickered to life, and an image of Team Rocket's insignia appeared. Then, a video box opened to a live feed of their Boss.

"Jessie, James, Meowth," Giovanni said, "I have an important job for you."

All three of them snapped to attention. "Yes, sir."

"You are still following that boy and his Pikachu, correct?" the Boss asked his subordinates.

Jessie bowed to the image on the monitor. "Yes, sir. We believe it will be valuable in expanding Team Rocket's influence over the Kalos Region."

Giovanni smiled. "Excellent." He tapped some keys on his computer. "I'm sending you some coordinates. There, you will find a castle. If you can lure that boy and his friends there, I will have operatives there to assist you in taking his Pikachu once and for all."

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn," James said, "but you rarely concern yourself with our matters. Why are you going out of your way to help us capture Pikachu?"

"I am simply tired of your failure and want to end this pointless charade sooner rather than later," he said. "Any other questions?"

"No sir," Meowth said. "Thank you, sir."

"Wooobbuffet," said Jessie's Wobbuffet.

"Very well," Giovanni said with a curt nod. "Giovanni out."

The transmission ended. Giovanni stood up and smirked. His desk and everything around him seemed to disappear until he was standing in a void. "Good," Giovanni said, his voice changing into another man's voice as he spoke. "As soon as that brat and his friends arrive, I'll be able to exact my revenge."

The mysterious man broke into a cackling laugh as 'Giovanni' also disappeared from the room.

* * *

><p>It was another bright, beautiful day in the Kalos Region. The sun was shining, the wild Pokémon were singing, and our favorite traveling companions were enjoying their journey to the next town.<p>

Almost enjoying, anyway.

"I can't believe how hungry I am" Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town groaned out loud.

"Pikachu... " his partner, Pikachu, moaned in agreement.

"How are you hungry?" Clemont, the Gym Leader of Lumiose City asked. "Breakfast was two hours ago."

"It was two whole hours, Clemont," his little sister, Bonnie, complained. "I want a snack, too."

"It's okay, Clemont," said Serena, a girl from Vaniville Town who had joined them in their journey. "Nothing makes a chef happier than to have all of her food eaten every time she cooks. Besides, you look like you need a break, too, Clemont."

Clemont wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I guess you're right. We can have lunch early today."

"Awesome!" Ash cheered, "I can't wait to eat some of Serena's coming!"

Clemont began setting up a table while Ash and Pikachu left to get some water. Serena opened her pack and began to select the ingredients she wanted to use as Bonnie and Dedenne watched her intensely. Clemont then set up a small burner for Serena to use while Ash and Bonnie made sure all their Pokémon were getting fed. While Serena made a vegetable stir fry, Ash and Bonnie set the table. Clemont was taking a well-deserved break.

"Lunch's ready," Serena called out. She served the stir fry into the plates as Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie came over to the table.

"It looks delicious, Serena," Bonnie, bubbling over with joy.

Ash licked his lips. "And if I know Serena, it's gonna taste twice as good as it looks."

"Oh, stop it, Ash. You're going to make me blush," Serena said, already blushing.

Ash and Serena both began eating the stir fry ferociously. Bonnie, as well before Clemont tapped her on the shoulder and reminded her to chew before swallowing her food. After licking his plate clean, Ash dropped the plate down when a smile on his face. "Aww, man, Serena, that was the best yet!"

"Thanks, Ash," she said, smiling as well.

"Frooooakie!"

Ash and his friends all turned to where the Pokémon were eating. Ash's Froakie was pointing into the sky. Ash caught the very last glimpse of two rather conspicuous ears and a charm descending behind some trees nearby.

Clemont sighed. "Team Rocket? Do they ever give up?"

"Those meanies!" Bonnie added.

"Everyone, return!" Ash held up his Poké Balls and recalled Froakie and Fletchling as Pikachu ran back to his trainer. Clemont did the same for Bunnelby and Chespin, while Serena called back her lone Fennekin and Dedenne ran back and hid in Bonnie's satchel.

Just then, Jessie, James, and Meowth jumped out of the bushes. Meowth was holding some sort of bazooka. The Pokémon just let the weapon fall to the ground. "I tink dey saw us comin'," he said.

"Don't you get bored of chasing us?" Ash shouted at them.

"Prepare for trouble, since you won't guess what's next," Jessie said while striking a pose.

"And make it double, since we're rendered in text!" James popped up next to her.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!

"Wobbuffet!"

"Good job cleaning up the camp while Team Rocket was doing their motto," Clemont said.

"Please," Serena said, "I wouldn't waste my time with these guys."

"You won't get away with insulting our motto!" Jessie said, gritting her teeth. "Meowth, the net launcher!"

"Got ya," he said picking up the bazooka again. He pulled the trigger, launching a balled up net at the kids.

"Everybody, run!" Serena shouted. Ash and his friends turned and began fleeing into the forest. The first net fell short as everyone got off to a good start. The second missed entirely and wrapped around a tree. But by the time Meowth was lining up the third shot, Clemont was tiring and becoming an easy mark.

Bonnie turned around and saw her brother struggling. She also saw Meowth pulling the trigger and launching a net directly at him. Using all the strength in her small legs, Bonnie turned around and raced backwards, tackling her weary brother out of the way. The net that was aiming for Clemont instead ensnared Bonnie, pinning the small girl to the ground.

"Bonnie!" Clemont shouted, panic stricken. He struggled to get to his feet, but his heavy backpack made it difficult.

Serena and Ash turned to see Bonnie struggling in the net. "Ash, go help Clemont," Serena said, thinking quickly. "I'll help Bonnie!"

"Right!" Ash said. He turned around and raced back towards Clemont.

Serena ran toward Bonnie, but Team Rocket got to her first they scooped Bonnie up in the net and James had moved their balloon into position overhead via remote control. They threw Bonnie into the basket and the trio used their jet packs to fly up into it themselves. Seems jumped at the balloon as it began to rise away. Her hands gripped the very bottom of the basket and she lifted into the air along with it.

Gritting her teeth, she slowly climbed up the basket, one lurching grasp at a time, until she reached the rim of the basket. "You guys better let Bonnie go right now, or you'll be sorry," she said, a growl on the edge of her voice.

"What's a twerpette like you going to do about it?" Jessie asked as James and Meowth crowded her side of the basket, holding Bonnie.

"Nothin'!" Meowth said, barring his fangs. He lobbed a small cube towards Serena. The cube lit up when it gently bounced off her chest and sent a ring of energy around Serena. The light constricted her arms, binding them to her sides. James took a step closer and pushed her down before putting the ensnared Bonnie down next to her.

Serena's ears were filed with the sound of Bonnie's loud sobbing. Serena herself was so shocked and frightened that she was struggling to keep herself from crying as well. "Ash!" she shouted as loud as her voice could manage. "Ash, please! Please save me, Ash!"

On the ground, Ash had already freed Clemont, and the two of them watched Team Rocket escape with the girls.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	2. Interlopers

**Here's part two. This one is probably the shortest chapter, and the next few of these are going to be much longer. But without further ado, here's part 2.**

* * *

><p>"Ash! Ash, please! Please save me, Ash!"<p>

Those words were still ringing in his ears as Ash and Clemont watched Team Rocket escape with Serena and Bonnie as their captives.

Ash quickly tossed a Poké Ball into the air. "Fletchling, I choose you!"

The Poké Ball opened, and in a flash, Ash's Robin Pokémon appeared in the air. "Fletchling!" the Pokémon said.

"Keep an eye on Team Rocket's balloon for us and lead us to them!" Ah said. Fletchling gave his trainer a nod and flew off after the balloon.

Clemont dropped to his hands and knees. "Bonnie! Bonnie, no!" he screamed. Tears began streaming down his face. "This is all my fault," he said while sobbing softly. "If Bonnie didn't have to save me, she'd still be safe. If I could just run faster, or if I was stronger, or something... I failed her, Ash. I failed my little sister, and now she's in Team Rocket's hands."

Ash put his hands on Clemont's shoulders. "Don't worry, Clemont," he said. "We'll work together and save Serena and Bonnie, I promise. They don't stand a chance against our teamwork."

Clemont took off his glasses and wiped them off on his work suit. He wiped his face on his sleeve before putting his glasses back on. "You're right, Ash," he said, confidence returning to his eyes. "Thanks. Now let's follow Fletchling and save our friends."

"Fletchling went this way!" Ash said, pointing down what seemed to be an ancient road that hadn't been used for centuries. Ash and Clemont nodded to each other, and started running down the path.

* * *

><p>Team Rocket's balloon had landed, and Serena and Bonnie were each restrained by one of the ring-cube devices.<p>

Meowth was ecstatic. "I can't believe dat worked!" he said with a grin.

"And now," Jessie said with utmost confidence, "the Boss's plan will help us finally catch Pikachu."

"Why do you meanies want Pikachu so bad anyway?" Bonnie said with a pout.

"I doubt twerps like you would understand the inner workings of an international criminal syndicate like Team Rocket," James said, pushing them along.

Serena looked at the castle. It looked ancient, like it had been thousands of years since it was built. The stones that comprised the structure were covered in moss, and it looked like the forest was finally beginning to reclaim it. There was one detail, however, that looked oddly modern; across the castle walls were small, angular nodes that seemed to be placed at regular intervals. "What is this place?" she asked.

"It looks scary," Bonnie added.

"Da Boss told us to come here and get some back up fer gettin' Pikachu away from you tweips," Meowth said.

The five of them entered through the castle's gate and into the courtyard. It looked like it had been recently cleared of all flora and fauna, the ground brown and muddy. More of those nodes were all over the ground, and on the castle's walls. These nodes were lit up, unlike the ones outside, and there were Pokémon skittering around them. They looked like Bug-types with red eyes and grey bodies. Serena struggled a bit and wished she could use her Pokédex, but she sighed. They seemed to be watching Serena and Bonnie very closely.

Team Rocket led Serena and Bonnie further into the castle. It was dark and cold inside the walls, but it seemed oddly fresh. Serena expected it to smell like a dank cave, but it was actually not so bad. There were more of those strange, lit-up nodes, and some Magnemite floating about, which Serena recognized from the Lumiose Gym, when Ash saved her from an attack.

Her mind drifted. Ash must be coming for her. He and Clemont were probably already on their way, coming to save them. She smiled to herself, thinking about how handsome Ash would look bursting into the room to save her from Team Rocket.

"I agree with the mini-twerpette," James said. "This place is a bit eerie."

"The Pokémon are probably just sentrys," Jessie said. "We need to find the boss."

As if responding to Jessie, one of the Magnemite floated over. It hovered close to her face, then turned and began leading them up some stairs in the middle of the room. Bonnie whimpered gently as they walked further into castle.

* * *

><p>"Fletchling, return!"<p>

Ash recalled Fletchling into his ball. He looked at the building that his Pokémon had led Clemont and himself to. It was an ancient looking castle, covered in small nodes that Ash thought looked kinda familiar.

"No doubt that Team Rocket was here, Clemont said, pointing to the deflated Meowth-head balloon. "But where's here?"

"They're probably waiting inside for us," Ash said, looking through the opened gate into the courtyard. "I think they're leading us into a trap." He pulled the rim of his cap down. "But it doesn't matter. We have to go in there to save Serena and Bonnie."

Clemont nodded and the two of them started into the courtyard. The two boys looked around the corner saw a lot of Pokémon, patrolling. "What are those?" Clemont asked.

Ash opened his Pokédex and pointed it toward the Pokémon milling about. "Durant, the Iron Ant Pokémon," it said, displaying an image of Durant. "Durant dig nests in mountains. They build their complicated, interconnected tunnels in mazes."

Clemont frowned. "This is far from a mountain," he said. "What are they doing here?"

Ash looked across the courtyard. All the nodes that were inside were on. Something clicked in his head, and he gasped. "No way..." he said. "They can't be... Mirage Pokémon, can they?"

Clemont gasped and took a step back. "Ash, you know about Mirage Pokémon?"

Ash nodded. "Wait, how do you know about them?"

"Scientists always hear about the horror stories perpetrated by other scientists," Clemont explained. "About how there are some people who go too far with experiments. Everyone in the scientific community has at least heard of Doctor Yung and his Mirage Pokémon system." He pushed up his glasses. "But how do you know about it?"

"Pikachu and I had a run in with Doctor Yung a long time ago in Kanto," Ash explained. "We defeated him, but his lab exploded and Officer Jenny never found him." Ash looked back toward the Durant. "But what are Mirage Pokémon doing with Team Rocket?"

Clemont stroked his chin. "Maybe Team Rocket salvaged the destroyed system and reinstalled it here?"

"More importantly, how do we get past them?" Ash said.

"Leave that to me," he said with a grin. He took off his large, mechanical backpack and started to hit buttons. The backpack sprang to live and sputtered for a bit before producing what looked like an aluminum umbrella hat. Clemont grinned as he put it on. "The future is now, thanks to science! Behold, my Mirage Cancel Hat!"

Ash's eyes lit up. "Man, technology is incredible!" he shouted.

Clemont beamed. "This hat projects a field that disrupts the electromagnetic waves that comprise a Mirage Pokémon, preventing it or its attacks from harming the wearer or anyone in close proximity."

"Awesome!" Ash said. "Let's use that to bust in and save Serena and Bonnie."

"Right," Clemont said with a nod. "Clemontic gear, on!" He tapped the top of the hat with his hand and it sprang to life. Ash felt a pulse shoot by him that made his hair stand on end. Pikachu's cheeks sparked in response to the electromagnetic pulse. Around the group, the air looked like it shimmered. "Now, let's go."

Clemont boldly began walking into the courtyard with Ash close behind. The Durant immediately began to react. They began swarming toward the two boys, but just when one reached the edge of the field, it vanished. Ash jumped a little in surprise, but was even more surprised when the Durant appeared behind them as they continued to move forward. "It doesn't destroy the Mirage Pokémon," Clemont explained. "It just disrupts the light that makes up their bodies."

"That's really cool," Ash said. The two of them walked through all the Durant and into the castles' open door.

Inside, the castle was dark, except for more mirage nodes and the glowing eyes of Magnemite patrolling. Ash smirked. "As long as we have that hat, Mirage Pokémon can't even touch us!"

"Uh..." Clemont stammered as the hat began to sputter. The shimmering air around them stopped. "My hat's solar powered... It doesn't have the energy to cancel Mirage Pokémon right now."

All of the Magnemite floating around began to buzz and started heading towards Ash and Clemont. Some of them began sparking, readying electric attacks.

"Pikachu, give Clemont's hat a charge!" Ash said to his buddy. Pikachu nodded and jumped from Ash's shoulder to Clemont's. His cheeks sparked and the hat was reactivated by Pikachu's electricity. The Magnemite began launching their attacks, but they vanished into the Mirage Cancel Hat's field and reappeared behind them.

"That was close," Clemont said with a sigh.

The Magnemite started swarming around in the air. They seemed to be panicking.

"I wonder what they're so worried about?" Ash asked, thinking out loud.

He didn't have long to wonder. The floor beneath him opened up and he fell down a chute. He heard Clemont and Pikachu scream in surprise as well but their cries faded in the distance as Ash slid further and further into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Team Rocket opened the door and pushed Serena and Bonnie inside before slipping in themselves. The room was dark, with only a large, dimly glowing lamp installed in the room's ceiling providing light.<p>

Standing before Serena looked to be a man in his 40's, starting to bald in his purple suit. "That must be..."

"Boss," the three Rockets kneeled before him, with Jessie speaking, "We have done as you commanded. We have brought the twerp's friends here to act as bait so that we can capture his Pikachu."

"You meanies'll never get Pikachu!" Bonnie shouted, squirming defiantly. "My big brother and Ash'll stop you!"

The Rocket's Boss smirked. "So the boy and his Pikachu are coming," he said to himself. "Perfect."

"What's the next step, boss?" James asked, still kneeling.

The old man grinned. "It is for you to leave. Now."

The Rockets looked up in confusion as their boss snapped his fingers. From the dim light on the ceiling, what looked like lots of little lights came down and started to take a shape. The shape was angular, insect-like. It took a color, purple, with huge, red eyes. On its back was some sort of weapon.

"No way," Meowth said with a gasp. "Dat's dat Pokémon from da Decolore Islands!"

"How did you get that Pokémon, Boss?" Jessie asked, backing up slowly from it.

Their boss silently pointed at the three of them. "I don't think he's in the mood to share his secrets," James said, swallowing the fear building inside of him.

The insect Pokémon began charging the cannon on its back. Team Rocket's mouths were hanging in horror when the blast was fired, shooting a hole in the ceiling and launching Jessie, James, and Meowth away. Serena thought she heard them say that "we're blasting off again", but wasn't sure.

She turned to their boss. "What did you do that for?" She asked.

"When something has outlived its purpose, you dispose of it," the Boss said dismissively. "Those fools have served their purpose."

"Weren't they your friends?" Bonnie asked, shocked.

"My dears," he said, "you clearly have no idea who I am..." With that he grinned and puffed out a green cloud into Serena and Bonnie's faces.

Serena suddenly felt very tired, and passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	3. Revenge

**Nothing much to say. On with the show!**

* * *

><p>When Serena came to, she found herself in a different room than before.<p>

This one looked metallic, almost clinically clean. That's when she noticed her arms chained to the wall above her head. She struggled against her restraints. Her legs were free, but she couldn't exactly kick her way out of this situation. Next to her, also chained to the wall was Bonnie. She was still sleeping.

Across the room, working at a keyboard flanked by five monitors, was a man with light blue hair. He wore a lab coat and he seemed engrossed by his monitors. "Curses!" he said, hitting the keyboard with his hand. Serena gasped in surprise. The man stopped moving. "Ah, I see you finally woke up," he said. The voice was different from Team Rocket's Boss. He turned around to face Serena. His cold, violet eyes glinted in the pale blue light of the room. "So you're that boy's friends?"

"That boy?" Serena asked, thinking out loud. "You mean Ash?"

He laughed. "Yes, Ash Ketchum. That boy RUINED ME!" He slammed his hand against his computer. His already dark expression soured even further. The banging made Bonnie jump and made Dedenne, who was apparently asleep in Bonnie's pouch, twist and turn.

"What's going on?" Serena asked. "Who are you? What do you want with us? And how do you know Ash?"

"Let me start from the beginning," the man said. He waved his hand, and the pale light dimmed. From the ceiling, a double-helix descended into the floor and continued to spiral. "My name is Doctor Henry Edward Yung, and I am a scientist. I invented an amazing system called the Mirage Pokémon System that allows one to create Pokémon out of nothing, using data from a computer and my holographic technology."

Bonnie finally stirred awake. "You said your name is Doctor Yung?" she said. "Clemont told me about you once. He said that you're a bad man who doesn't respect Pokémon!"

Yung shook his head. "Fools always carry their foolish opinions. My Mirage Pokémon are wonderful. You can research extinct Pokémon, rare Pokémon, Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, all by inputting their data. My system would have revolutionized Pokémonology!" He gestured toward the ceiling with both hands. Images of Pokémon floated by that Serena recognized rode down the helix, including Cranidos, Togekiss, Ho-Oh, and Celebi. They disappeared as they sank into the floor. "Not only that, but my Mirage Pokémon are superior to ordinary kinds, as well. I can input data to change a Mirage Pokémon's moves, types, and power. They are nearly unbeatable in battle, with power and tactics without peer!" He broke into maniacal laughter that echoed and shook the entire room, sending chills down Serena's spine.

"That sounds… so terrible," Serena said, her blue eyes glaring at him intensely. "It doesn't sound like you respect Pokémon at all. You can't recreate something like a Pokémon with holograms and data! You're missing a Pokémon's life! It's soul!"

"SILENCE!" he shouted her down. "My Mirage Pokémon plan was perfect, and I almost succeeded, too, if it weren't for…"

Serena blinked. "…Ash stopped you."

Yung screamed in anger again. "THAT BOY! He ruined everything! He and his Pikachu DESTROYED my Mirage System AND my perfect Mirage Pokémon!"

"Serves you right!" Bonnie said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Serena smirked. "I'm glad Ash was able to end your scheme before you could hurt anyone."

Yung broke into laughter again. "But you see, that's why you're here. Ever since my system was destroyed in the Kanto region, I have been rebuilding my Mirage System in a far off land, far from the prying eyes of the Pokémon Association. I've been keeping my research database up to date by hacking into databases all over the world. No one has been able to escape my surveillance. Not Team Galactic, or Team Plasma. Not Professors Rowan, Juniper, or Sycamore." He grinned, baring his teeth to the girls. "That's how I got the data on that Pokémon I sent those interlopers on their way with."

Serena gasped. "That was a Mirage Pokémon?"

"See, you are able to appreciate my genius," he said, stepping closer to her. He glared at her blue eyes. Serena squirmed uncomfortably. "But no matter what resources I've gotten access to, I still haven't gotten data on Legendary or Mythical Pokémon. Not like I was able to when I got my hands on that Pikachu!"

Bonnie blinked. "You mean, Ash's Pikachu?"

Yung looked to her. "Yes, yes, THAT Pikachu." He flashed his teeth. "You don't think Ash and Pikachu just started journeying, did you? They've been all over the world, and they've seen many kinds of rare and powerful Pokémon."

Serena let that sink in. Just how much had Ash seen? He'd must have had so many adventures without her, seen so many incredible things. Her heart felt heavy for just a moment.

"Ash and Pikachu'll never help you!" Bonnie said. "Ash knows you're a bad man, and he and Clemont are coming to save us!"

"I don't need their help," Yung said, walking up to and kneeling down to Bonnie. "I just need them both in arms reach." He held up his hand. "For you see, I have technology that lets me view the memories of people and Pokémon. I can read the information on the powerful Pokémon they've seen just by getting close to them."

Serena saw Bonnie swallow in fear. "And how do you plan on doing that, you big jerk?" Serena said, kicking at him.

She caught his attention. "Those fools from Team Rocket brought you here for a reason. You're my bait for that brat." He looked over his shoulder to the monitors. "He's already here, in fact, trying to save you, in fact." Yung grinned wildly. "He's in my trap. I just have to get close to him."

"Ash won't let you get close," Serena shouted back at him. "If he already knows you like you say he does, he'll stop you and save us."

"But it isn't me that will get close to him," Yung said with a grin. "It's you."

Serena's mouth fell open. "What do you mean?"

"I suppose a demonstration is in order," Yung said, standing up. He walked up to Serena and touched her face with his cold hand. At first, Serena was recoiling simply from his touch, but then, it started.

It felt like a rake was being taking across her brain. Serena screamed out, her entire body felt like it was on fire. Her mind seemed to be racing out of her control, taking itself on a tour of her memories of Ash. She started remembering what Ash said to her about her cooking this morning. She remembered smiling at Ash when he battled when Pikachu was blinded. She remembered teaching him how to ride Rhyhorn. She remembered watching his Gym battle with Viola. Her mind was taken back to the moment where she saw him on TV, at the Prism Tower. She remembered his handkerchief, and him tying it to her knee.

The pain coursing through her intensified, and she screamed louder. She could feel Yung peering into her thoughts. Her feelings. Her secrets. She knew he could see how she felt about the boy who ruined his plans. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Then, the pain stopped. She heard Bonnie gasp, but her eyes were closed from the pain. She opened them slowly, and gasped herself when she saw who stood before her now.

A duplicate of Serena now held her hand to the trainer's face. The doppelganger smirked, then spoke with her voice. "Oh, this is much better than I could have hoped," the false Serena said.

"What...?" Serena was dumbstruck.

"Now that I look like you," Yung-Serena said smugly, "I'll be able to get close to Ash and Pikachu, and read their minds when they least suspect it."

The real Serena struggled against her chains. "You monster! I won't let you get away with this."

Yung laughed. "Oh don't worry about your little 'Ashy'," he said in Serena's voice. "I promise I won't hurt him. Much." Cackling again, Dr. Yung walked out of the room in Serena's body.

Serena waited for the laughing to fade before turning to Bonnie. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm okay," she said. "What about you? Did he hurt you?"

Serena shook her head. "I'm okay, Bonnie. Is Dedenne okay?"

Bonnie wiggled her leg, shaking the pouch Dedenne was in. The Antenna Pokémon popped his head out "Dene?"

"Awesome!" Serena said with a grin. "Dedenne can help us escape so we can warn Ash and Clemont."

Bonnie nodded. "Right! Okay, Dedenne, use tackle on our shackles!"

"Dene!" The small Pokémon leapt up and tackled Bonnie's shackles, but it bounced off and hit the ground.

"Try again, Dedenne! We're counting on you!" Bonnie said.

"We know you can do it, Dedenne!" Serena said. "You're the only one we can rely on right now."

Dedenne smiled, and his cheeks sparked. "Dedenne!" He tackled at Bonnie's shackles again, and this time the metal shattered, freeing Bonnie's wrists.

"Great job, Dedenne!" Bonnie said. She picked up the small Pokémon and gave it a nuzzle.

"Bonnie, can you get Fennekin's Poké Ball? It should be in my pocket," Serena said. She shook her leg to indicate the pocket. Bonnie hopped over and reached into the pocket on Serena's skirt, pulling out the Poké Ball. Bonnie lobbed it into the air, and the ball snapped open, and in a flash of light, Serena's Fennekin appeared.

"Great! Now Fennekin, use Ember on the shackles holding my arms! Then Dedenne, use tackle on the shackles!" Serena ordered.

Fennekin took in a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of red-hot embers at Serena's shackles. The embers heated up the shackles. Dedenne leapt from Bonnie's hands and tackled into the shackles, shattering them. Serena rubbed her sore wrists for a moment before kneeling down to pick Fennekin up and rub behind her Pokémon's ears.

"Thanks, Fennekin," Serena said. "You, too, Dedenne." She adjusted her hat on her head. "Now, we need to find Ash and warn him. We have to save him from Dr. Yung and get out of here."

Serena and Bonnie fled out the room through the door left through, into the dimly lit halls of the castle.

* * *

><p>"Pikachu! Clemont!"<p>

Ash frowned. He'd been wandering around the castle's catacombs for a while now, and he hadn't seen any signs of Clemont or Pikachu, not to mention Serena or Bonnie. Only more dim blue light given off by the mirage nodes that seems to be everywhere in this castle.

He groaned. He hadn't even seen any Mirage Pokémon since he fell through the trap door. Becoming frustrated, he turned another corner.

It was still dark, but he saw something lying ahead of him down the hall. He rushed up to who he saw. It was a human. A person. A girl.

Serena.

Ash rushed over to where she was lying in the middle of the hall. He kneeled down and pulled her into a sitting position, holding onto her shoulders. "Serena! Serena! Are you alright?"

Serena slowly opened her eyes. "I am now," she said slowly, staring intently back at him.

He looked up and down her body, looking for any injuries. "Can you walk? We need to get out of here."

Serena looked to his shoulder and then looked at herself. "I-I'm fine," she said. "Where's Pikachu?"

"Pikachu is with Clemont right now," Ash said, standing up. "We got separated in here, but I'm sure we'll find them on our way out." He offered her a hand. She accepted and pulled herself up. Ash pulled her close, into a quick hug before stepping back. "Sorry," he said, smiling. "I was worried for you and Bonnie, so I'm glad to see you're safe."

Serena smiled. "Let's get back to Pikachu and Clemont," she said, pulling on Ash's hand. "C'mon!"

"But what about-" Ash tried to say before Serena yanked him down the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	4. Attack

**Story is completely written, so I'll be uploading a new chapter every few days. I hope you all like this part as we head into the conclusion**

* * *

><p>"Pi-ka-chuuu!"<p>

Pikachu launched another Thunderbolt behind them as they ran. Clemont had Bunnelby and Chespin out as well to help fend off the endless supply of Mirage Pokémon that chased him through the catacombs.

A pack of Mirage Geodude blocked the way ahead. "Chespin, use Vine Whip!"

Chespin launched two vines from the sides of his head and smacked the Geodude out of the way.

He hadn't seen nor heard Ash since that trap door opened and split them up. And since then, they've been chased around by Mirage Pokémon. Clemont barely had time to catch his breath before the next horde descended on them.

After turning another corner, he found himself looking at a horde of Slugma. "Bunnelby, use Mud Shot!"

Bunnelby hopped forward. He formed several globs of mud along his ears and lobbed them at the Mirage Slugma. The globs knocked the Slugma out of the way as Clemont and the Pokémon raced past them.

"That was close," Clemont said, heaving as he tried to continue running. "We need to find some place we can rest." Just as he turned the corner, there were five Paras waiting for him. Clemont stopped in his tracks. "We need to be careful with those things. One puff of their Spore and we'll be sitting ducks!" As the Mirage Paras started to move in, he weighed his options. None of Pikachu or Bunnelby's attacks would be that helpful, and the only thing Chespin could try to do is Pin Missile. A Paras stepped closer and began shaking the mushrooms on its back. A cloud of spores began wafting in Clemont's direction.

"EMBER!"

From behind the Paras, a cloud of red-hot embers rushed over the group. The cloud of spores exploded, covering the Paras in flames. The Paras scattered around and fled into the darkness.

Clemont rubbed some of the ashes from his face. His eyes widened when he saw Serena, Fennekin, and Bonnie standing there, triumphant. Clemont shambled over to Bonnie and hugged her tight. "Oh, Bonnie!" he said, too worn out to cry. "Bonnie, I'm so glad you're safe. When Team Rocket took you, I was so worried."

Bonnie tried to wriggle free from her brother's embrace, to no avail. "Clemont, I'm fine! Really! Serena and I helped each other escape. We're okay."

"We followed Dedenne's electric signals to find Pikachu," Serena said. She looked around. "Ash isn't with you?" she asked.

Pikachu approached her, ears lowered. "Pikapi…"

She kneeled down to Pikachu's level. "You're worried about him, too, aren't you Pikachu?"

Clemont released Bonnie and stood up. "Ash and I got separated. Pikachu was helping me power one of my inventions when two trap doors opened up. Ash fell down a different one. He's probably still down here in the catacombs."

"That's bad news, Clemont!" Bonnie said, puffing out her cheeks. "There's a bad man here named Doctor Yung who's trying to get Ash and Pikachu!"

Clemont gasped. "Did you say, Doctor Yung?! As in, Mirage Pokémon inventor Doctor Yung?"

"He said Ash had ruined his plans in the past," Serena said, picking Pikachu up. "He was going to read their minds using a machine and create a powerful Mirage Pokémon."

"Ash was right, then," Clemont said, putting his hand on his chin. "He thought this might be related to that incident then."

"I thought you made something to protect people from Mirage Pokémon," Bonnie said, tugging on Clemont's arm.

He chuckled uneasily. "Well, you see, Bonnie. It worked up to a point." He pulled it out of his backpack. His hat was crushed. "The power system was destroyed when Pikachu landed on it after we fell through the trap door," he said. "The system still works… probably. But it's useless until I get a chance to fix it."

Pikachu put one of his hands behind his head, looking embarrassed. Serena looked at him and saw Ash for a moment. Her heart sank, but then she clenched her teeth. "We need to find Ash," she said. "He's still in danger as long as we're here."

Pikachu climbed out of Serena's arms and onto her shoulder. "Pika!" he said.

"Then let's get looking for him," Clemont said.

* * *

><p>Ash held Serena's hand as they walked.<p>

Actually, it was more like Serena held his, leading him.

"Serena, are you feeling okay?" Ash asked.

She giggled. "Why do you ask, silly?" she said, smiling at him.

Ash furrowed his brow. "You just seem like you're… not yourself, I guess," he said. "It's like I can't put my finger on it."

She yanked on his arm. "Ash, you're so goofy," she said. "I'm fine. I just want to find Pikachu and the others and get out of here."

Ash continued to frown. "Where's Bonnie?" he asked. "Team Rocket took her away, too, right?"

"Oh, uh," Serena said, stammering, "Team Rocket must have taken her to another room. We need to find Pikachu so we can stand a chance against them," she said.

"But you jumped up to save Bonnie yourself," Ash said. "The two of you were together, right?"

Serena froze in her tracks. "I just said they took Bonnie away." Her tone was cold and distant.

Ash pulled his hand away from hers. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like you abandoned her, I just-"

"Look, it doesn't matter," Serena said. "We just need to find Pikachu. A-And Bonnie. And then we can leave."

"Right," Ash said with a nod.

* * *

><p>Serena stroked Pikachu's fur. She imagined Ash being there. If he were there, he'd say that Pikachu seems to like her a lot. The Electric-type had a worried look on his face. He was thinking about Ash, too.<p>

Clemont was leading the way. They had managed to avoid more roving bands of Mirage Pokémon for a little while. Bonnie was between them, holding Dedenne in her arms. They had recalled Chespin, Bunnelby, and Fennekin into their Poké Balls. Serena took up the rear, with Pikachu on her shoulder.

"So you're saying Dr. Yung somehow changed his body to look like Serena?" Clemont asked.

Bonnie nodded. "He said he wants to get his hands on Ash and Pikachu so he can read their minds. He says they've met lots of super-strong Pokémon."

"You mentioned him reading their minds," Clemont said.

"Believe me, it's real," Serena said. She held herself for a moment and stopped walking. "It hurt. A lot. It was like he could see anything he wanted. My thoughts, my memories, my… feelings."

"Pipika…" Pikachu said. He rubbed his cheek against Serena's.

She brightened a little. "Thanks, Pikachu. I guess he used the same sort of thing on you before, huh?"

"Pikachu," he said, nodding.

Clemont led them up an incline. "Hey," he said, looking ahead, "I think we're back at the entrance."

The three of them rushed into the room. There were Magnemite still floating around. "Bunnelby, Mud Shot!" Clemont said, tossing the Poké Ball.

"Fennekin, Ember!" Serena said, throwing her own.

The Poké Balls opened, and the two Pokémon appeared. Bunnelby lobbed the Mud Shot at a group of them, and Fennekin sprayed embers at another group. The Magenemite all fled the room.

Serena recalled Fennekin and looked around the room. There was the entrance, and two rather large, obvious holes in the ground that weren't there when Team Rocket brought her and Bonnie in. The catacombs were on the side of the room, and directly across the room from the entrance were stairs, leading into the room Serena and Bonnie were taken into by Team Rocket. Serena guessed that the "man" they saw in the room was nothing more than Dr. Yung in another disguise. She and Bonnie were knocked out in that room. If it was Dr. Yung, it was probably some attack generated by the Mirage System.

"Wait…" Serena said. "Bonnie and I were taken into that room up there by Team Rocket."

Bonnie frowned. "I don't remember being taken from that room. We just woke up somewhere else, right Serena?"

Clemont pushed up his glasses. "So maybe there's a passageway that connects that room to deep in the castle's catacombs… and maybe to other places, too."

"Like to wherever the Mirage System is located," Serena said. "I bet if we can destroy it, we won't have to worry about Dr. Yung's Mirage Pokémon."

"What're we waiting for?" Bonnie said. "Let's go take a look!"

The three of them rushed up the stairs and into the room. The room was lit from a huge hole in the ceiling that the Mirage Pokémon shot Team Rocket out of. The room was small and square. Clemont sighed. "I don't think there's anything in here."

Serena looked around. "There's no doors or anything."

"Maybe there's a secret passage?" Bonnie said. "Maybe Dedenne can find it?" She opened her pack, and Dedenne rolled over, asleep. "What, again?" she said, fuming.

"Is there anything of use in here?" Clemont said, looking around.

Serena kneeled down to where she had been knocked out by Dr. Yung. The cube Team Rocket had used to restrain here was laying there. "Hey," she said, picking it up. "This is what Team Rocket used to tie me up." She walked over to Clemont and handed the cube to him. "Do you think you can use this for anything?"

He held it up to his eye. "Maybe. But we still need to find Ash."

Pikachu's ears perked up. "Pikapi!" he said, hopping off of Serena's shoulder. He rushed out of the room back towards the entrance.

"Pikachu!" Serena said, chasing him. "Wait up!"

* * *

><p>The silence was starting to get to him. Serena refused to talk, so Ash ended up talking to himself, mostly. "I wonder where Clemont is. Do you think we're heading out, or further in?"<p>

Silence. She wouldn't even look at him. Ash missed Pikachu even more right now.

They walked past a path that lead upwards. Ash stopped and looked at it. "Hey, Serena, I think this is the way out."

Serena froze. "Y-you think so?" she said.

Ash ran up the slope and found himself in the entrance room. He saw the trap doors he and Clemont had fallen through, and the sunlight filtering through the open door. "Yeah! It is! This is the way out!" Hearing that, Serena ran up the incline after him. Ash stood in the middle of the room, looking around. "I wonder where all the Mirage Pokémon went to? This was full of Mirage Magnemite when Clemont and I came in here."

"PIKAPI!"

Ash turned around. Running down a set of stairs that lead to an upper room was his buddy. Ash's eyes widened and he kneeled down with open arms. "PIKACHU!"

Pikachu leapt into Ash's arms and nuzzled his cheek. He cooed into Ash's ear. "I'm so glad you're alright, Pikachu," Ash said.

Then he looked up and his mouth fell open.

Coming down the stairs were Bonnie, Clemont, and… Serena?

Ash stepped back. "What the? What's happening?"

"Ash!" Bonnie hopped toward him. "We're so glad you're safe!"

"Ash, get away from that person!" the Serena from behind Bonnie said. "They're not me! That's Dr. Yung!"

Ash looked at the Serena he entered the room with. "Ash, do you believe what that imposter's saying?" she said. "Those three are probably Jessie, James, and Meowth, just in disguise."

"Ash, don't believe her," the other Serena said. "We're your friends. That Serena's the imposter.

Ash felt his mind spinning. "Wait, wait. What's going on? Why are there two Serenas?"

"That one's a fake!" both Serenas said, point at each other.

Ash's eyes darted between the two. They looked exactly the same. Same honey-blonde hair, same blue eyes, same black and red dress. He felt like his stomach was jumbled up. Was the Serena who was acting coldly to him all this time the real one, or the fake?

Clemont stepped forward. "Ash, I'm sure the Serena that came with Bonnie and I is the real one," he said. He motioned for Serena to walk forward, past him and towards Ash.

Bonnie nodded. "We both escaped Dr. Yung's room together, with Dedenne's help!" At his name, Dedenne popped his head out of Bonnie's pouch.

Ash looked at that Serena. "Are you sure?"

She stepped forward. "Ash, Pikachu was worried about you. I was worried about you. I'm glad that you're safe and sound." She smiled at him. "I know you'll make the right choice."

Ash smiled at her. That was the warmth he had come to expect from his friend.

The other Serena laughed. "Well, it doesn't matter if he makes the right choice now. All that matters is he's made the wrong one right here!" She stepped behind Ash and Pikachu and placed a hand on each of their heads.

Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont all gasped as they saw the electricity flow from Ash and Pikachu into the false Serena. Ash and Pikachu shouted out in pain. He could feel the fake Serena diving into his memories. He grit his teeth and tried to fight back. "N-No!" Ash shouted. "You're not gonna get anything outta me!"

"You don't have a choice!" 'Serena' said, using a voice Ash hadn't heard in a long time. The voice of the creator of the Mirage Pokémon system, Dr. Yung.

"Ash!" Serena leapt forward and tried to pry her doppelganger's hand away from Ash. Electricity sparked and launched her back. For a brief moment, Ash felt like he could see into Serena's mind. 'Never give up until the end', she seemed to be thinking.

He clenched his teeth. "I'm not giving up! No way!"

"Give up or don't, I couldn't care less!" Dr. Yung said. "I just need to see the right memories!"

Pictures of Pokémon began emerging in Ash's memory. A small, spritely Pokémon with long green hair appeared, but was discarded. Next, a Colt Pokémon and the Boundary Dragon it fought, but those were also ignored. "I don't want any old Pokémon. There's one in particular whose information I want!"

Clemont ran up to Ash while Bonnie helped Serena to her feet. Clemont's Aipom Arm grabbed Dr. Yung's arm and tried to pull him off. The device strained against the force keeping the arm attached to Ash's head, but it couldn't move the arm an inch.

Two more Dragons flashed through Ash's mind, colored black and white. Still, Dr. Yung moved further into Ash's memory. Ash's eyes widened when he realized the Pokémon Dr. Yung was searching for. A tall, white creature, standing upon four legs. Ash tried to grit his teeth, tried to suppress the memory, but the creature's red and green eyes and golden ring were coming into view. Alongside the mythical Pokémon, three Legendary Dragons also came into view. "Yes! There they are! The Pokémon who shaped the Sinnoh Region, who can shape the very world! Their secrets WILL BE MINE!"

Serena gasped. "Pokémon who can shape the world?"

"Legendary Pokémon," Clemont said. "He must be referring to Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina!"

Bonnie grabbed onto Pikachu's tail. "I'll get you out of there, Pikachu!" She yanked on his tail, causing Pikachu to yelp out in pain and discharge a huge thunderbolt on everyone in the area. The force from the Thunderbolt launched Dr. Yung back into the wall, and threw Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie to the floor.

Ash was the first to struggle to his feet. "Pikachu," he said, turning to his buddy, "are you alright?"

"Pikapika," he said. Ash picked him up and held him in his arms.

He walked over to Serena and offered her a hand. She took it and pulled herself to her feet. "Thanks, Ash," she said.

Clemont got up and pulled Bonnie to her feet. "So everyone's okay?"

"Thank g-g-goodness," Bonnie said, still dazed from the Thunderbolt.

The group turned to Dr. Yung, who still looked like Serena. He had been blasted to the wall. "It's over, Dr. Yung!" Ash said, "We're not gonna let you get away with your Mirage Pokémon plan!"

Dr. Yung began a low laugh, but it quickly grew into a mad cackle. "You have NO idea how wrong you are, brat!" he said. "I already have EVERYTHING I need!"

Then, Yung's body began to disappear into the Mirage System.

"What?" Clemont said, blinking. "I don't believe it! Dr. Yung has been a Mirage this entire time!"

"My system is perfect!" Yung said as his body dematerialized. "And now, I will be able to take a form fitting of my glory!"

The entire castle began to shake, and the roof in the small room began to collapse further.

"We need to run!" Ash said. He held Pikachu in one arm and grabbed Serena's hand with the other and started to run out. Clemont scooped Bonnie into his arms and followed right behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	5. Giants

**Only this part and one more. How are you all liking it so far? The road's almost over...**

* * *

><p>The four friends raced out the castle as the entire structure seemed to be crumbling around them. There were no Mirage Durant waiting for them outside. Ash pulled Serena by the hand out of the castle, with Clemont carrying Bonnie in his arms closely behind.<p>

Bonnie opened her eyes and gasped. "Clemont, look up there!" All four of them stopped to see what was happening in the orange, late afternoon skies above them.

Though there were no Mirage Pokémon around them currently, the Mirage nodes all over the castle were activated and sending data into the air. The shapes of two Pokémon were forming above the castle. A blue four-legged Pokémon and a pink two-legged Pokémon were writhing.

"No way," Ash said, staring intently. "He really is making a Dialga and a Palkia."

Serena took out her Pokédex and pointed it skyward. The Pokédex showed an image of the first Pokémon, a blue draconic creature covered in a diamond-like armor. "Dialga," it said. "The Temporal Pokémon. It has the power to control time. It appears in Sinnoh-region myths as an ancient deity." Moving it slightly to point at the other creature, the Pokédex showed a tall, pink, winged dragon with a long neck and tail. "Palkia," the Pokédex continued. "The Spatial Pokémon. It has the ability to distort space. It is described as a deity in Sinnoh-region mythology."

"Pokémon that can control time and space," Serena said. "The kind of power is almost impossible to imagine."

"Clemont, we have to do something," Bonnie said, shaking her brother.

He stood still, his mouth hanging open. "I don't know what we can do."

"I'll tell you what you can do!" Dr. Yung's voice echoed through the courtyard, broadcast by the Mirage nodes. "You can curse the day you met Ash Ketchum, for my vengeance is on his head!" Above them, the two Legendary Pokémon finished forming, their black and red eyes glaring down at the children. Both Dialga and Palkia roared at Ash and his friends. Bonnie recoiled and hid behind Clemont.

Ash clenched his fists. "We have to stop his Mirage Pokémon before they destroy this whole place."

"You would foolishly stand before Pokémon who are called gods?" Dr. Yung said, mockingly. "I will enjoy watching your last seconds of life! Dialga, use Roar of Time! Palkia, use Spacial Rend!" Dialga roared, and its tail began to grow. The diamond on its chest began to glow as well. Palkia, likewise, roared, and the pearl on its shoulder began to shine, as well as its forearms. The two Legendary Pokémon launched their attacks straight at the ground, toward Ash and his friends.

Ash pulled Serena and Pikachu close, trying to shield them.

Clemont held Bonnie close, and tears began to form in his eyes.

Bonnie gasped as Dedenne slipped from her pack and leapt upward. "DEDENNE!" she shouted. The small Antenna Pokémon leapt up in the way of the two powerful attacks, blocking both shots with his tiny body.

A huge explosion engulfed the area, erupting from the point where Dedenne had been struck.

"DEDENNE!" Bonnie cried out again, reaching out toward where the small Pokémon disappeared into the explosion.

The smoke cleared, and the small Antenna Pokémon was, to the surprise of everyone present, completely unharmed. He sparked his cheeks. "Dene!"

"But… but THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Dr. Yung's voice rang out. "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

Bonnie ran from Clemont's grasp to Dedenne. The small Pokémon smiled and hopped up and down, smiling. She picked it up and nuzzled it.

"But what happened?" Serena asked. "How did Dedenne not only survive, but take absolutely no damage from those attacks?"

Clemont grinned and pushed up his glasses. "You see, Dedenne's an Electric-and-Fairy-Type Pokémon. And Fairy-Type Pokémon are completely immune to Dragon-Type attacks, even those used by Legendary Pokémon."

"Fairy…Type?" 's echoing voice sounded confused.

"Alright, Dedenne!" Bonnie said, spinning while holding the Pokémon. "Let's fight back against these bad guys!"

"Dedenne!" he smiled back.

"We're fighting, too!" Ash said. "Come out, Froakie and Fletchling!"

"We need your help, Fennekin!" Serena said.

"Chespin and Bunnelby, get ready to battle!" Clemont said.

The five Poké balls flew through the air, and in seconds, the Pokémon were standing at their trainer's feet. "We can beat these guys," Ash said. "Bonnie, you and Dedenne need to run interference on their Dragon-Type attacks. The rest of us need to hit them as hard as we can."

"Got it, Ash!" Bonnie said, grinning.

"I won't let you defeat me now!" Yung's voice echoed. "Dialga, Flash Cannon! Palkia, Hydro Pump!"

A great white laser shot from Dialga's mouth while highly-pressurized water was spewed from Palkia's down at Ash and his friends.

"Everyone, dodge!" Ash said. Each trainer and Pokémon leapt away from the attacks that punctured holes into the ground. "Fletchling, use Double Team and then Peck on Palkia! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Palkia! Froakie, use Bubble on Dialga!"

Fletchling split into many mirror images of itself, and the illusory flock circled around Palkia and began pecking the Dragon's head from all directions. While Fletchling had it distracted, Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit Palkia, causing it to scream out in pain.

"Fennekin, help out Froakie and use Ember on Dialga!" Serena said.

"Chespin, use Pin Missile on Dialga!" Clemont said. "Bunnelby, use Mud Shot on Dialga as well!"

Froakie and Fennekin both took in a breath and exhaled their attacks at Dialga. The embers and bubbles combined in the air to form a beam of water and fire that smashed into Dialga's underside. The Dragon Pokémon flipped upside down in the air when Chespin and Bunnelby launched their attacks at it. The quills fired off by Chespin hit Dialga in the face, while the mud globs hit Dialga's forelegs.

"I won't stand for this!" Yung shouted above the attacks. "Dialga, use Draco Meteor! Lay waste to the field!"

Dialga flipped back over so it was right-side up again. It gathered energy into its forehead and then launched a spray of meteors towards the ground at all the Pokémon gathered on the ground.

"Everybody, shoot down those meteors!" Ash said.

"Dedenne," Bonnie said, "use Tackle!"

As Pikachu and the other Pokémon used their attacks to destroy the meteors falling down, Dedenne ran up the side of the castle. He jumped out, his head aimed toward a meteor. He crashed head-first into it, the meteor bouncing off of his small frame and sailing back up toward Palkia. The meteor smashed into the pink Dragon-Type, making it scream out in pain. Palkia's body started to fall apart, back into the floating data that returned to the Mirage nodes on the castle.

"Awsome work, Bonnie!" Serena said, giving the younger girl a thumbs up.

Bonnie smiled and gave her a thumbs up back. "Thanks, Serena!"

"It's not over yet," Ash said, pulling down the brim of his hat. "We still have Dialga to handle."

"Dialga's taken a lot of damage," Clemont said. "One more, hard hitting attack might be enough to finish it."

Ash nodded. "Right. Everyone! Help Pikachu get to Dialga!"

Pikachu nodded Chespin. Chespin picked Pikachu with his Vine Whip and tossed Pikachu high into the air. Fennekin took another breath and fired Embers under Pikachu. Pikachu's tail started to glow, and he then used his Iron Tail to shield himself from damage while riding the Embers ever higher. Bunnelby, meanwhile, tunneled underground with his ears, and then built up speed beneath the surface. He shot out of the ground under Pikachu, launching into the air like a rocket. His ears pushed Pikachu even higher into the air. Froakie threw some Frubbles at Pikachu, who spun in the air and got them attached to his back. Fletchling, seeing this, dove a Pikachu and attached himself to Pikachu's back. Fletchling flapped his wings rapidly, just enough for Pikachu to kick off of the Tiny Robin Pokémon and grab onto one of Dialga's legs. Pikachu scrambled up the Steel-and-Dragon-Type's blue body until he stood at the tip of Dialga's head.

"Pikachu," Ash shouted at him. "Use Thunderbolt! Full power!"

"Pi-" Pikachu's cheeks began sparking.

"Throw Pikachu off, Dialga!" Dr. Yung's echoing voice was desperate.

"Ka-" Pikachu dug in with his small paws and feet. Dialga began to writhe wildly in the air in an attempt to toss Pikachu off.

"Now!" Ash called out to his partner.

"CHU!" Pikachu's voice echoed over the forest as the electric energy surged through Dialga's body. Dialga howled out in agony and began to plummet from the sky. Electricity sparked and crackled all over the falling Dragon's form until it crashed into the ground in front of Ash and his friends. Pikachu jumped off of the Dragon-Type as it began to dematerialize into data and return to the Mirage nodes. He ran into Ash's arm and climbed onto Ash's shoulder.

"See that, Dr. Yung?" Bonnie said. "We can handle your mean ol' Mirage Pokémon!"

"As long as we work together," Clemont said, pushing up his glasses, "there's nothing we can't do."

"As long as I have my friends by my side," Ash said, "you'll never beat us."

"As long as we're on the road," Serena said, "we're like a family. We work together and help each other over come anything, even the worst you're able to throw at us. We're not afraid of you, Dr. Yung."

Dr. Yung responded with laughter. "You're not afraid?" he said between laughs. "You WILL be afraid!" The Mirage nodes began forming a new Pokémon in the air. It was smaller than Dialga, and thinner. Golden hooves and long white legs led to a white body encased in a golden wheel.

Ash gasped as the creature's neck and long head took shape. He wordlessly took out his Pokédex and pointed it at Pokémon forming before him.

A picture of the equine-looking Pokémon appeared on the screen. "Arceus," it said. "The Alpha Pokémon. According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world."

"A-Arceus?!" Clemont said, eyes going wide.

Serena stared at the majestic creature taking shape before them "A Pokémon that shaped everything in this world?! How is that possible?"

Arceus screamed out and stomped the ground in front of it, shaking the ground around Ash and his friends. From the top of Arceus' head, something else began to emerge. Serena remembered the light-blue hair on the man's head that seemed to be growing from Arceus. Soon, Dr. Yung's entire torso had grown from Arceus' head. Yung laughed out, his voice echoing through the courtyard. "Behold, the most powerful of all Mirage Pokémon," he shouted, "my Mirage Arceus!"

"Ash!" Serena said, holding a hand over her heart, "what do we do?"

Ash clinched his hands into fists. "I… I don't know. But we can't give up."

"Big brother!" Bonnie grabbed his arm. "Isn't there anything you can do?"

"I… I don't think there's anything science can do for us now," he said.

"Now," Yung shouted, "Taste my Judgment!" The ring on Arceus' body began to glow as an orb of energy formed in front of Dr. Yung. The Mirage Arceus fired the ball into the air, energy streaking behind it. The ball exploded into countless shots of light that fell down to earth, destroying the courtyard and parts of the castle. All of the Pokémon tried to avoid the attacks, but each of them got caught in one explosion or another as the lights came crashing down. The lights approached Ash, who stood stunned until Serena leapt up and tackled him out of the way. Ash slid away from harm with Serena on top, holding onto him. Clemont leapt between Bonnie and a shot aimed at her, and took this blast head on. The explosion blasted Clemont backwards into Bonnie, throwing him into her. His backpack cracked open, and small inventions and small parts of inventions spilled out over the ground.

Serena looked up and saw Clemont's inventions scattered about. Among them was the small cube Team Rocket used to tie her up. It was lying next to a crushed aluminum-foil looking hat. "Wait a second," she said, rising to her feet, "isn't that…?"

The Pokémon all rose to their feet, struggling to stand in the face of Arceus. Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and Froakie took a defiant step forward. But Chespin and Fennekin could barely stand up, and Bunnelby and Fletchling leaned against each other the stand up.

"Stand all you want," Yung said, taunting them. "I will knock your 'family' down again and again until your broken bodies can no longer defy me!"

"Clemont! Can you somehow put the cube and your hat together to make something that can stop Arceus?" Serena shouted to him.

Clemont coughed and rolled over. "Bonnie, are you okay?" he asked his sister.

She sat up, just as covered in dirt as Clemont was. "I'm okay, thanks to you, brother," she said.

Clemont's thoughts turned to what Serena said to him. "I… I think I can do something with it. But I'll need some time." He turned to Ash. "Can you get me the time I need?"

Ash stood up and helped Serena to her feet. "I guess we know what we gotta do." He turned to the Pokémon. "Is everyone ready to give it everything they've got?"

Pikachu turned to Ash and nodded. "Pikapi, Pi Pikachu!"

Yung laughed. "You don't stand a chance! There's abosolutely nothing you can do! Now, feel the flames of my wrath once more! Judgment!"

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball! Froakie, use Water Pulse! Fletchling, use Razor Wind!" Ash shouted over his Pokémon toward Arceus.

"Fennekin, use Ember again!" Serena commanded her only Pokémon.

"Bonnie, I'm counting on you," Clemont said. He was taking components out of the hat and attaching them to the cube.

Bonnie smiled. "You've got it, brother!" She turned to Clemont's Pokémon. "Alright, Bunnelby, use Mud Shot! Chespin, use Pin Missile! Dedenne, use Nuzzle!"

Arceus began building the energy on its forehead once again. The Alpha Pokémon reared up and launched the blast into the air, where it split into countless shots of light, again falling down towards Ash, his friends, and their Pokémon.

Fletchling began building up his Razor Wind as Froakie formed a Water Pulse in each of his hands. He lobbed the pulses into the air, where they were joined by the needles fired from Chespin's head. The attacks smashed into the shots of light, but more continued to come down. Bunnelby's lobbed his Mud Shot into the air against the shots, each chunk of mud blocking another light falling toward the ground.

Dedenne began charging towards Arceus with his cheeks sparking. Fennekin fired her embers ahead of Dedenne, clearing his path of some of the lights falling towards him. Fletchling's Razor Wind was finally ready, and he shot the blades of air around Dedenne as the Electric-and-Fairy-type continued to run. The blades exploded against the falling lights, and Dedenne continued to run closer. Froakie threw more Water Pulses with precision, blocking two shots that would have collided with Dedenne. Pikachu began racing behind Dedenne, quickly catching up with the smaller Antenna Pokémon He gave Dedenne a smile and a nod, and then launched his Electro Ball. The sparking ball smashed through many shots of light, giving Dedenne a clear path for his Nuzzle attack. The Electro Ball exploded against Arceus' face, catching Yung off guard and forcing his Mirage Arceus to stumble backwards.

Finally, Dedenne leapt up and rubbed his cheek against Arceus' body. Electricty coursed through the Mythical Pokémon's body, and it fell to its knees. Arceus struggled to stand, but it couldn't move.

"NO! ARCEUS! GET UP AND DESTROY THEM! NOW!" Yung had lost all control. He flailed wildly against the Pokémon whose body he was using.

"Arceus is paralyzed by Nuzzle," Ash said. He turned to Clemont. "Is it ready? I don't know how long it's going to stay paralyzed!"

Clemont stood and pushed up his glassed. "It's done!" He held up the cube, now with a black rectangle attached to it. "This is my Mirage Jammer! If we put this on Arceus, it should freeze the entire Mirage System, since the person controlling the system is inside of Arceus!"

Ash's eyes lit up. "Technology really is incredible!"

"Alright, Clemont! Are you ready?" Serena shouted.

Bonnie jumped up and down. "You bet he is!" she said. "The future-"

Serena held up her hand toward Dr. Yung. "-is now-"

Ash pointed towards Arceus. "-thanks to-"

Clemont placed the Mirage Jammer in his Clemontic Gear's Aipom Arm. The arm spun around quickly, winding itself up. "SCIENCE!"

The Aipom Arm released the device, and it zipped through the air faster than anyone could see. It slapped against Arceus' neck, and a ring of light wrapped around its throat. The rectangular box attached to the cube now opened, shining in a rainbow of colors.

"NO! NO NO NO NO!" Yung's words hung over the area, and then he stopped moving. Arceus stopped moving as well.

Ash and his friends stood there in silence for a moment. Nothing happened. Neither Arceus nor Yung moved at all.

"Is… is it over?" Bonnie asked. "Did we beat the bad guy?"

Ash shook his head. "We may have stopped him for now, but his Mirage System is still up and running," he said. "We need to find where it is in this castle and put an end to this once and for all."

"I agree," Serena said. "That Dr. Yung is clearly not the real thing. We need to find where he really is and bring him to justice."

Clemont let out an exhausted sigh. "Really, I'm just glad we're all okay." He looked at his friends and their Pokémon again. He took off his glasses and cleaned them before putting them back on. "Maybe 'okay' is too generous. But we're all safe now. That's what matters."

The castle still stood, mostly. Everyone returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls while Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder. They reentered the castle, heading to their final confrontation.

* * *

><p><strong>To be concluded...<strong>


	6. Ending

**This is the end of the story. I hope you've enjoyed the ride!**

* * *

><p>The interior of the castle was as shaken and crushed in places, holes blown in the roof by Arceus' Judgment. The formerly dark and dank interior was now lit by the evening sun. The mirage nodes, however, were now completely dark.<p>

Ash stepped over another piece of fallen ceiling. "This place is a wreck."

"My face is a wreck," Serena said, pouting while looking at her dusty, scratched up face in a compact mirror. "That was a close one, for sure."

Ash took her hand and helped her over the pile of rocks. "It's thanks to Clemont that we got out of that whole mess, anyway."

Clemont pushed up his glasses. "Well, it was Serena who gave me the idea."

"It was thanks to Dedenne and Bonnie," Serena said with a wink to the smaller girl. "They got through and paralyzed Arceus with that Nuzzle!"

"Well, I think it was Ash and Pikachu keeping it clear and taking the lead," Bonnie said as Clemont helped her up over the rubble and Serena helped her down.

"Well, we can't leave the other Pokémon out, too," Ash said. "Everyone worked hard together."

"You're right," Bonnie said as Serena sat her down on the other side.

"It's just like Serena said," Clemont said, climbing over himself. He took Serena's hand and she pulled him over. "We're like a family. We all have each other's backs."

Serena blushed. "Well, it's the truth, isn't it? All of us worked together to save each other."

"Now we just have to find out where the Mirage System is being held," Ash said.

"And Dr. Yung," Clemont added.

Ash blinked in Clemont's direction. "You said he was in the Mirage System earlier, right?"

"Right. Obviously that wasn't Dr. Yung's real body," the inventor explained. "An ordinary person couldn't change their entire body into that of another person, or merge with a Pokémon. The Dr. Yung we've seen up until now has been a creation of the Mirage System. The real Doctor is somewhere in this castle, I bet."

Bonnie gasped. "Do you think that bad guy's gonna fight us s'more? I don't think Dedenne can handle anymore!" She placed her hand her pouch, where the small Pokémon was sleeping after his rough day.

"I doubt it," Clemont said. "As long as the Mirage Jammer is attached to that Mirage Arceus, the entire Mirage System is frozen. He can't recall the data, and he can't turn it off without unplugging the entire system. And if he did that, it'd probably take a while to reactivate."

"Then we just have to find him," Ash said, pulling on the brim of his hat. "Any ideas where to start?"

"Well, Bonnie and I started from the Catacombs after Team Rocket brought us to Dr. Yung," Serena said. "It's probably a good place to start."

"Then let's head down there," Ash said. Pikachu also made an enthusiastic gesture.

The four of them walked down the staircase that lead to the catacombs. The Judgment had shaken the castle even this far down. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed down here, as well. Clemont took the lead, using the flashlight on his Clemontic Gear to light the way, since the Mirage Nodes were no longer providing light. Bonnie stuck close to him. "I-I don't like it this dark, Clemont," she said.

He gave her a pat on the head. "It's okay, Bonnie. We're all here. Nothing's going to happen while we're around."

Serena walked behind Bonnie, but in front of Ash. "That's right. So don't worry about it. Let's just focus on putting a stop to Dr. Yung so he can't hurt any more Pokémon."

Bonnie gave her a smile. "Right!"

"Serena," Ash came up behind her. "Are you alright?"

She turned to him. "Yes, Ash, I'm okay. Why do you ask?"

Ash scratched behind Pikachu's ears. "Professor Oak told be what he saw when Dr. Yung read Pikachu's memories in the past. And I felt how much it hurt when he read my mind a little while ago. I was just wondering how you were holding up."

Her cheeks heated up a little. "O-oh. I'm okay, Ash." He was continuing to scratch Pikachu, but there was something bothering him. "So you were deceived by Dr. Yung pretending to be me, right?"

Ash nodded. "He pretended to be hurt, so I tried to help. But he was really bad at acting like you. He wasn't as warm or affectionate as you are." Ash's cheeks lit up when he realized what he said. "What I mean is, I'm glad you – the real you – are alright."

Serena felt her face turn as red as the tip of Fennekin's tail. "Thanks, Ash," was all she managed to say.

Clemont turned the corner. "Hey, there's some light coming from down here!"

The four of them crowded into the room Clemont saw light coming from. Serena and Bonnie recognized it instantly. "This is the room Yung had us tied up in," Serena said. "He was working at that computer." The computer was on, so Clemont walked up to it and hit some buttons. It didn't seem like it was working. Clemont frowned. "I think it's tied into the Mirage System, so it's not going to work as long as it's frozen."

"That's too bad," Ash said. "I bet we could find the way to where the System is kept with this thing."

Bonnie looked at the keyboard. "Hey, what's this big red button do?"

"Don't touch that!" Clemont said, practically jumping. The young girl had already put her hand on the button.

Part of the wall hissed and slid open. The four friends looked down the passageway that was opened. It was a metallic tunnel that looked much newer than the ruined castle they were currently in. "Bonnie, you're a genius!" Ash said, his eyes practically glimmering. "Man, science is great!"

Serena gave an amused sigh while Clemont practically crumpled. "I'm the scientist, though," the blonde boy whispered to himself.

"Hey," Ash said, walking toward the opening, "there's something else in there."

There was more faint light coming from the newly opened chamber. Many computer screens and monitors were in the room, and a huge machine sat against a wall. Chills ran down Ash's spine as he looked at it. He led the way into the room, followed by the rest of his friends. Clemont walked toward the machines. He glanced at all the screens. "The displays are all frozen," he said, "but I think this one's a map of all the mirage nodes. Only the ones on the outside of the castle are on." He turned and his eye caught a glimpse of the machine against the wall. A look of horror flashed across his face. "What in the world…?"

"Clemont, what's wrong?" Bonnie asked, taking a step forward.

Clemont held up a hand, stopping her. "Bonnie, I need you to go back into the other room," he said.

"But brother-"

"Bonnie!" His voice was firm. "Now. Please."

Bonnie frowned. "Okay," she said. "But if I get grabbed by a Mirage Pokémon, I'm gonna scream so loud your glasses'll crack."

Clemont gave her a smile and nodded. "That's fine. Please wait in the other room, Bonnie."

As Bonnie left the room, Ash turned to Clemont. "What was that about?"

"I didn't want her to see… this," he said, motioning the Ash and Serena closer.

The two of them approached the machine Clemont was standing near. Serena's eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp.

The machine was a glass tube. Inside the tube was a human body. The body was badly burned, with parts of it ranging from blackened at the extremities with bones showing through the flesh to parts of the body that had the skin falling off. Serena felt her stomach churn. The burns were all over the body, but the head and upper body seemed to be the most intact. A respirator sat over the mouth, pumping air into the lungs. That's when she saw one of the same lifeless violet eyes she had seen earlier that day. The other eye was missing entirely, and a few tufts of blue hair were growing out of the otherwise bald and scarred head. There were other machines attached to the body, as well. One on the chest that seemed to pulse rhythmically, one on the lower body that seemed to hum constantly, and one that looked directly attached to the body's head. The entire body was the glass tube, unmoving.

"This is what you didn't want her to see," Serena said. "This is… the real Doctor Yung."

"No way," Ash said, almost speechless. "This… is what happened to him?"

Clemont nodded. "It seems like the bad doctor did survive the explosion in Kanto, but not without significant injury to his body." Clemont looked up and down the tube before noticing a keyboard and monitor attached to them. He approached the keyboard and tapped a few keys. "Hey, this one isn't frozen," he said.

"What can you find out, Clemont?" Ash asked.

The inventor tapped at the keys a bit. "Interesting," he said as data flashed across the screen faster than Ash could even begin to read it. "It's just like I thought. Dr. Yung was controlling the entire Mirage System from here. His mind is connected into the system, giving him the ability to create Mirages and use them to interact with the outside world."

"Does that mean… his mind is stuck?" Serena asked. "I mean, the entire Mirage System is frozen, right? If his mind is in there, then he's stuck too, isn't he?"

Clemont clicked a few more keys. "That looks like the case. There's no neural activity right now. His mind must be stuck in there, too."

"Is there a way for us to turn off the Mirage System in here?" Ash asked. He looked around the room. "I mean, that's the only computer that seems to be working at all."

Clemont kept at the screen. "It's probably because this system is also responsible for his life support."

"Life support?" Ash turned back to Clemont. "You mean…?"

He nodded. "Those machines are what're keep his body going. One of them keeps his heart pumping. Another delivers nutrients. Without the Mirage System, he'd be a vegetable."

Serena put a hand on her chest. "How awful. Does someone even as bad as Doctor Yung like deserve to be trapped in this pod for the rest of his life?"

"Don't forget what he did to you and Bonnie," Ash said, an edge to his voice. "And what he did to Pikachu, and… other friends of mine." He clenched his fists and seemed to mouth a single, silent syllable. Then he continued. "He had a chance to turn over a new leaf after my friends and I beat him in Kanto, but instead he just set to work to try and hurt more Pokémon and people." He pulled his hat over his eyes. "Some people are just… broken, I guess. Like no matter how many chances they get, they'll keep doing bad stuff. Like Team Rocket."

"Ash…" Serena felt her heat break a little. She had no idea that he was hurting like that.

Clemont tapped on the keys. "I think if I go through the neural processor, I can turn the entire Mirage System off without hurting Dr. Yung," he said. "Then when we get back to town, we can send Officer Jenny here and she can collect him. Let's leave this to the authorities."

Ash nodded. "Let's make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

Clemont tapped a few keys. "This is going to take a bit. Could you two go back and keep Bonnie company?" he asked. "I'll be right out as soon as I'm done."

"Alright," Ash said. He gave Clemont a pat on the back. "You can do this, Clemont."

Clemont gave him a thumbs up while he kept typing.

Ash and Serena left the room. Clemont let out a huge sigh. "What a waste," he said. "This Mirage System really could have revolutionized Pokémonology. It could have been an amazing creation. It's a terrible shame that instead of being used for good purposes, it had to be twisted and used for Dr. Yung's horrible ambitions." He kept at work. "Maybe there's some way I can salvage a part…I know what I'd do with the ability to make solid holograms…" Something flashed on the screen. "You're kidding, right? So it's not just a pipe dream after all."

He typed a few more things, then hit enter.

* * *

><p>They were all finally outside again. The Mirage Arceus was gone, the Mirage Canceller lying on the ground where the Mythical Alpha Pokémon once stood.<p>

Ash, Serena, and Clemont were quiet. Bonnie hopped up and down. "I still wanna know what you all saw in there," the small girl pouted.

"Don't worry about it, Bonnie," Clemont said, collecting the Mirage Canceller. "I have a new invention I'd like to show you all."

"A new invention?" Serena asked. "How did you find time to make something new with all of this going on?"

The inventor pushed up his glasses. "Well, I did get a little help from Dr. Yung," he said. From his Clemontic Gear, he took out a Mirage Node attached to a box. "The future is now, thanks to science! I've invented new training device that I'm sure will revolutionize Pokémon Training forever. My Super Training!"

Bonnie groaned. "That name seems a little… incomplete…"

Ash perked up. "Super Training!?" He was practically salivating. "I wanna try it, I wanna try it!"

"I thought you'd never ask," Clemont said. He put the Mirage Node and Box on the ground. "Clemontic Gear, on!" He pressed on the node, and it lit up. From the node, a floating platform appeared. "Now, put Pikachu on the platform."

"Ready buddy?" Ash asked his shoulder companion.

"Pika" he nodded before jumping onto the floating platform.

"Now, let's try out a Super Training Regiment to boost Pikachu's speed," Clemont said. He pressed a few buttons on a remote. From the box, a small blue shape begin to emerge. The shape began to inflate like a balloon, growing larger and larger until it took the shape of a huge, rubbery Noivern.

Serena gasped in surprise. "It's huge! Is it a Mirage Pokémon?"

"Not exactly," Clemont said. "It's based on the same technology, but it's not a Pokémon, not even a Mirage of one. It's just a balloon." He hit another button on the remote. "Doesn't mean it's not gonna move fast!"

The Noivern Balloon began jetting around the air, flapping its wings as circling over Pikachu head. The Mouse Pokémon took a step forward and was surprised when the platform began to move. "It responds to how you're standing," Clemont explained. "You can move it up, down, forward, back, left, right, anyway you want to go. And you just try to shoot the balloon down with your attacks."

"This is awesome! Technology is amazing!" Ash said. "Ready to go, Pikachu?"

"Ash! Pikachu! Do your best!" Serena called out.

"Go for it!" Bonnie chimed in.

"Dene!"

Pikachu leaned back and stood up, making the platform move into the air. The Noivern Balloon continued to circle overhead as Pikachu got ever closer. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt and shoot down the balloon!"

Pikachu's cheeks began to spark, and it shot an arc of electricity at the Balloon. The electricity coursed through the balloon for only moment before it popped. The balloon shot straight down into the node, which began to crackle and spark.

With a panicked look, Clemont began messing with his remote again. He pressed a few buttons and it exploded in his hands. "Uh oh, this looks bad!"

The platform that was holding Pikachu disappeared into thin air. Pikachu scrambled in the air for a moment, and then fell. Ash ran under him and caught the Pokémon in his arms. "Are you alright buddy?"

"Pikachu!" he said with a wink.

"Big Brother, that was amazing!" Bonnie said, running over to him. "All you gotta do is work out a few bugs an-"

At that moment, the node exploded, catching Ash, Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and Pikachu in a cloud of smoke.

The smoke cleared quickly. Everyone's hair was dirty and poofy from the explosion.

"Maybe more than a few bugs," Clemont said before sighing.

A grumble silenced any other words between the friends. "Oh, man," Ash said, holding his stomach. "I haven't eaten in hours! I'm starving."

"Pikachu," he said in agreement.

Serena giggled. "Well, I suppose it is about dinner time. Who wants Bluk Berry pancakes?" She pulled out a frying pan from her bag.

Ash and Bonnie's eyes lit up. "Serena, you're the best!" they said in unison.

The friends all shared a laugh together.

"We have had a busy day," Serena said. "We beat the evil Dr. Yung and his Mirage Pokémon, and we saved each other from his castle." She gave Ash a wink. "I'm going to make double the amount of pancakes I normally make."

"I'll go get some fire wood," Ash said.

"Don't forget to let out your Pokémon so I can play with them," Bonnie said.

Clemont looked at his invention. "I guess… I'll clean this up," he said with a laugh.

The setting sun colored the forest in its orange hues as Serena began setting the table up again. Bonnie ran around with her friend's Pokémon laughing, and even though Ash was collecting fire wood, he was getting fired up for the next Kalos Gym and the next step on his journey to becoming a Pokémon Master!

* * *

><p><strong>The End! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! Thank you very much!<strong>


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